Serenity509 wrote:As a Westerner, I have trouble believing in any concept of the afterlife without sufficient evidence. The most I can say is that good is somehow rewarded and evil is somehow punished.

There has been research into thousands of cases where children claimed to remember things from before their conception. More often than not it corresponds to actual events, people, places and so on from before they were born.

Check out the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies:

Serenity509 wrote:As a Westerner, I have trouble believing in any concept of the afterlife without sufficient evidence. The most I can say is that good is somehow rewarded and evil is somehow punished.

There has been research into thousands of cases where children claimed to remember things from before their conception. More often than not it corresponds to actual events, people, places and so on from before they were born.

Check out the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies:

Serenity509 wrote:Is it more likely that they are recalling past lives or that they tapped into someone else's memories from the collective consciousness?

If that were so, why just recollect one individual's memories and not many?

It is easier to simply conclude that the children remember things from a past life. That's what the scholars like Stevenson and Tucker have concluded after researching this phenomena. No need to defer to ideas of a "collective consciousness" which sounds like some New Age junk anyway.

Huseng wrote:It is easier to simply conclude that the children remember things from a past life. That's what the scholars like Stevenson and Tucker have concluded after researching this phenomena. No need to defer to ideas of a "collective consciousness" which sounds like some New Age junk anyway.

I think collective consciousness is actually a Hindu idea. The point is that it might be just as likely. How can one recall the memories of past lives if there is no enduring self?

Serenity509 wrote:How can one recall the memories of past lives if there is no enduring self?

A given stream of consciousness composed of a unique series of moments which are neither the same as nor different from one another. Therefore, memories, thoughts, and so on can be communicated down this unique mind stream without this mind stream bearing a real intrinsic identity.

Huseng wrote:It is easier to simply conclude that the children remember things from a past life. That's what the scholars like Stevenson and Tucker have concluded after researching this phenomena. No need to defer to ideas of a "collective consciousness" which sounds like some New Age junk anyway.

I think collective consciousness is actually a Hindu idea. The point is that it might be just as likely. How can one recall the memories of past lives if there is no enduring self?

There is no inherently existent substantial self, but there is a conventionally existent person that is reborn. Continuity without inherent identity.

Huseng wrote:It is easier to simply conclude that the children remember things from a past life. That's what the scholars like Stevenson and Tucker have concluded after researching this phenomena. No need to defer to ideas of a "collective consciousness" which sounds like some New Age junk anyway.

I think collective consciousness is actually a Hindu idea. The point is that it might be just as likely. How can one recall the memories of past lives if there is no enduring self?

There is no inherently existent substantial self, but there is a conventionally existent person that is reborn. Continuity without inherent identity.

Only an enlightened being can see the past lives of others, since we are not enlightened...

Serenity509 wrote:While I do not believe in reincarnation...

And I don't belive in defecation.PS There is no collective unconscious in Buddhism, the alaya vijnana comes close but once again it is limited to the individual mind stream.PPS There is no guarantee that all beings will reach enlightenment, if a being does not generate the karmic force necessary to achieve enlightenment then they can easily circle through samsara forever. Every sentient being has the capacity (tathagatagarbha) to realise Buddhahood but without putting into effect the correct causes and conditions this capacity will remain merely a capacity.

gregkavarnos wrote:PPS There is no guarantee that all beings will reach enlightenment, if a being does not generate the karmic force necessary to achieve enlightenment then they can easily circle through samsara forever. Every sentient being has the capacity (tathagatagarbha) to realise Buddhahood but without putting into effect the correct causes and conditions this capacity will remain merely a capacity.

With an infinite amount of time, won't nirvana happen eventually?

Last edited by Serenity509 on Sun Jul 17, 2011 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

gregkavarnos wrote:PPS There is no guarantee that all beings will reach enlightenment, if a being does not generate the karmic force necessary to achieve enlightenment then they can easily circle through samsara forever. Every sentient being has the capacity (tathagatagarbha) to realise Buddhahood but without putting into effect the correct causes and conditions this capacity will remain merely a capacity.

With an infinite amount of time, won't nirvana happy eventually?

Only if beings engage in actions that will lead them to a realisation of enlightenment, if they do not, then NO!

Your view of reincarnation and enlightenment reminds me of some Hindu views of an existence that is guided by a capital "G" God, and that all beings have to do is follow Gods grand plan that eventually leads all beings to Nirvana. Doesn't work like that. YOU are responsible for your enlightenment, if you don't work towards it, it ain't gonna happen by chance.

Serenity509 wrote:How can one recall the memories of past lives if there is no enduring self?

That is like asking, "how can leaves float in a stream when the water won't stay still, but keeps moving?"The leaves are moving, and changing. The stream is moving and changing.Every "thing" is moving and changing. In fact, you cannot even stop it for a moment and call anything an "thing".There is only the continuously transforming present moment.

How can one recall memories?What do you recall?Did you see a car yesterday?If you take it apart, none of its parts contain any "carness". The car was a projection of your own thoughts.In other words, you remember the concept of 'car" but not a bunch of mechanical parts.Did that car thought remain fixed?, or did it come and go...Did it keep moving?(the thought...not the car!)

If a permanent "soul" or 'self" exists, then what constitutes, or defines the meaning of "permanent"?It is not a permanent body. Right?Then, is it a permanent thought?

Permanent means possessing some attribute or quality which does not change over a given period of time.Everything which is conditioned changes.Anything which responds to changing conditions thus also changes, thus it is not permanent.The reflection in a mirror changes. it is not permanentbut we might say that the mirror is permanent, and so you might ask why can't a soul be like that mirror.But the mirror is not the reflection. We just lump the two together.The mirror is glass and silver paint.Likewise, any things we might say are the "silver paint and glass" of the soul would have to be found.But I don't think anybody has ever found anything that a soul is made of.It's not physical,and it's not mental.So, what is it?

Profile Picture: "The Foaming Monk"The Chinese characters are Fo (buddha) and Ming (bright). The image is of a student of Buddhism, who, imagining himself to be a monk, and not understanding the true meaning of the words takes the sound of the words literally. Likewise, People on web forums sometime seem to be foaming at the mouth. Original painting by P.Volker /used by permission.